The National tribune., 1887-08-25
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
Opened BIZ CATERS Brigade, and SOt BY Any Single
Regiment.

htslmtnt.
EprToR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The article of
Capt Whitney, of the 10Th n. Y, again raises the
question, which seems TO grow in interest as
10 what infantry regiment opened the battle Of
Gettysburg. lpropose to show that no particu-
lar regiment can justly claim any such distinc-
ton.
The statement Of serg't schooley is wide of
the mark, as his regiment was of Stones Bril-
gade Rowley's Division, which arrived on the
field sometime after Wsdsworths first round
with the enemy. There is no uncertainty
about the question of what troops Doubleday
first brought up, as may be seen by the official
reports of the several division and brigade COM
manders of the old First Corps.
Capt. Whitney shows that tho 10th N. Y.
opened the fight; we OF the l47th ". Y. used
TO think we did; different regiments of Mere
dith's Brigade have claimed the honor, and
Col. Hoffman, of the Seth Pa, has taken care TO
have placed in the archives of his State evidence
that the glory claimed by others belongs TO his
men.
After comparing notes and reading up the
matter have concluded that, after the cavalry.
Cutters Brigade opened the battle, followed so
closely by Meredith's Brigade that il might
almost as properly be claimed TO have been the
concurrent action of Wadsworth's Division.
Cutters Brigade, the 10Th N. Y. leading, ar
rived first in front of the enemy, who were de-
ployed and advancing north and south of the
Cashtown pike. The three right regiments
continued north In the hollow west of Semi
nary Ridge until tho l47th n. Y. was across the
unused railroad bed. Then they faced TO the
front. hurriedly corrected the line, and at once
moved over the ridge TO encounter the enemy
coming up the opposite slope. The 9oth n. L:
and l4th Brooklyn were halted in support OF
Halls battery, aud at once fOsnd themselves
under fire. All three of Cutters right regi
ments adyan ced Mt the same time and the
opening was, so far as anyone could dlstln-
guish, a simultaneous crash and rattle the
whole length of the line.
In the meantime Meredith's Brigade, al
though in the rear of Cutters on the mornings
forced march. kept close 1t its heels, and, filing
by shorter cut obliquoly across the fields 10
the Mcpherson woods, went into line and was
Immediately engaged. No question OF prece-
dence was raised then, and the whole division
soon learned that they were all previous
enough. Gen. Doubleday says in his Official
report:
Gen. Reynolds himself was experimenting tho
placing Of Cutters Brigade 1 rode up. Mere
dith's Brigade into line TO the leti Of
Cutler, Halls battery being between the two. The
principal effort Of the enemy was made on the
Cashlown road, and was opposed at hrst, as have
said, by Cutters Brigade
have not Mt hand Cutters report, but have an
extract from his account of the affair, furnish
ed Gov. Curtin in 1853 by Gen. Cutler, in which
he says:
took out my glass 10 examine the enemy. Col.
Hoffman, turned 10 me aud inquired: " Is that the
eHemy2" My reply was. Yes" Turning To his
men he commanded. q" NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Fire 1" and the battle OF Gettysburg opened.
The fire was followed instantly by other regiments.
Ho1mann's order Of Right-obligue-Aim"
indicates that the enemy were nearer 10 tho
10Th, on his right, than 10 his own regiment,
and gives some weight 10 the claim of Capt.
Whitney, since his regiment WAS probably
first at close quarters. l well remember 1t
needed no ieldglaSs TO see the enemy rs they
came up in front Of the l47th y. Y. Admit
ting that Col. Hoffman, standing close TO Gen.
Cutler first gave the order 10 fire, aud that, AS
the General says, the other regiments fired in
stantly, then IL was "A brigade movement and
not that of any particular regiment. That Col.
Hoffman should have just pride in showing
the promptncss Of his own command is nat
ural and right, and every man OF the old Sec
Ond Brigade, SO long under his command, viii
join with me in doing all honor TO the lion
hearted Colonel of the 56th Pa His men were
certainly the first Pennsylvanians TO greet the
very unwelcome visitors TO the grand old Com
mon wealth on that memorable July morning.
That the 10Th n. Y. had the post of honor
that morning We also admit, which may, how
ever, be qualified by the fact that Serg't ii. III.
Hubbard, l47th n. Y, in command OF the pro-
yost-guard of Is men, formed the extreme
right of the 76th's line losing u, or two thirds,
OF his men killed and wounded, and gaining for
himself epaulets in exchange for his chevTOns.
am not surprised that my old friend aud
comrade, Whitney, was highly incensed at the
claim OF one Of ROwley's men, who, after "a
years undisputed possession, would now rob US
of the honor Of opening the ball, and il was
entirely proper that the error of the comrade
should be corrected. But in history fancy
that it must 90 down that the battle of Gettys-
| burg was opened by Cutters Brigade, which
relieved Bulord's Cavalry sEirmishers upon the
ridge hereafter TO be known as Reynolds
Avenue" which will soon be dotted with memo
rial structures of granite and bronze, whose
tablets shall tell 10 future generations the fear
full story of that half hours opening struggle.
IL ii. LYMAN, Adjutant, l47th y. Y, Oswe-
go, n. Y.